Emily's Joy
by Acathla
Summary: Emily wanders into a random bar and meets someone...interesting. Can what they find together, survive their secrets?  crossover with Bones
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

The bar she'd chosen was nameless, to her at least, and anonymous. She'd needed a place where no one knew her name or who she was and this place fit that bill perfectly.

She had just come off a hard case. She'd gotten far too attached to the baby boy, Andy, and it had awakened a long-buried desire in her to settle down and, maybe even start a family. She knew that her co-workers thought she was oftentimes cold, distant, even maybe emotionally stunted, but she wasn't. It was all an act she had perfected to avoid getting hurt.

Usually after a case, she would grab a drink or a snack with Booth, the FBI agent she worked so closely with but, this time, she'd declined. This time, tonight, she needed something she couldn't get from Special Agent Seeley Booth--anonymity.

She sat at the bar, nursing her drink and watching the room. She was waiting for someone--anyone--to be bold enough to make a move. It was the only time she was ever passive. She didn't have to wait very long.

* * *

Special Agent Emily Prentiss of the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI walked into the bar that she'd only ever driven by on her way home. The team had just gotten back from Miami the night before and Emily knew she would need a drink before she faced her empty apartment. She had managed to avoid going home last night by staying to do paperwork but, today Hotch had put his foot down and ordered her to go home.

So Emily had left, reluctantly. Emily's mind wandered back to Miami as she drove to DC. She saw, in living color, JJ walking away from her and toward that detective from New Orleans--Will. She saw JJ kiss the man and felt the crack in her heart widen. It didn't matter that she knew JJ was straight and that she'd suspected the blonde had been dating the detective on the sly, it still hurt to see her with him. She heard herself put on a convincing act with Derek and Reid before she walked away, unable to keep watching. Emily knew she had pushed JJ into admitting she was dating Will, she just wished her plan hadn't worked so well and that she didn't have to witness the proof of it with her own eyes.

Emily walked up to the bar and ordered a beer. She looked around as she sipped her drink. Down by the corner of the bar was a very beautiful brunette who caught and held her eyes. Emily let her eyes roam over the woman and she smiled as she noticed the woman tilt her head to the side.

Emily answered with a tilt of her own and a raised eyebrow, silently asking if she could approach. The woman gave the tiniest of nods, never looking away.

Emily grabbed her beer and slowly approached the stunning brunette. When she was close enough to be heard, she smiled as she said,** "Hi, I'm Emily."**

She looked at the bold woman and decided to take a chance. She smiled,** "Hi Emily, I'm Joy."**

And just like that, Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institute became Joy (the name she'd been given at birth), just another woman in DC.

Emily and Joy talked for a bit, small talk. They never exchanged last names or disclosed what they did for a living. Conversation was...superficial at best. Within twenty minutes though, Joy was in Emily's car heading to Emily's apartment.

They stumbled into the apartment, their mouths fused together as Emily kicked the door shut before leading Joy up the stairs to her bedroom. Clothes melted away and they fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. It was a long night filled with muffled screams and endless pleasure. It was just what they both had needed.

TBC...

* * *

**A/N: This has been floating in the back of my mind for a while now (ever since it hit me that both shows are set so close together. Feedback is appreciated and more will come if there is interest. **

**A.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

It wasn't the sunlight streaming through her bedroom window that woke Emily up, it was the beeping. Emily opened her eyes and looked around. She saw Joy sitting at the foot of the bed staring at a pager, fully dressed.

**"Good morning."** Emily said, smiling as she remembered the night before.

Joy turned to Emily and smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. She wasn't happy about being paged in to work on her day off. For the first time in a long time, Joy wanted to blow off work and just stay in bed, and a big part of that was the gorgeous woman she was looking at right now.** "Good morning, how'd you sleep?"**

**"Mmmm...great, what has you awake so early?"** Emily really hoped this wasn't just a one night stand. She liked Joy a lot.

Joy held up her pager,** "work. They need me to come in."** Joy hesitated a moment then,** "I would love to see you again, if you're interested of course."**

Emily smiled, then she grabbed a post-it from the night stand and scribbled her cell phone number on it.** "I'd like that. Here's my cell number. Call or text anytime. I, um, I travel a lot for work but when I'm in DC, I'm all yours."**

Joy smiled as she took the post-it. She then leaned over and kissed Emily.** "you are amazing Emily. And if this,"** she held up the pager again, **"wasn't so important I would ignore it and stay here with you."**

**"Trust me, I know what it's like when duty calls. Do you have time for some coffee before you go?"**

**"Yeah."**

Emily got out of bed and slipped on a robe. She led Joy downstairs and into the kitchen. Emily turned the coffee maker on and was about to turn around when she felt two strong arms wrap around her from behind.

Joy held Emily close, suddenly needing to be close to her. She felt bad about not being honest about her name and she knew it was only a matter of time before she'd have to come clean about that...especially if they were going to see each other again. But right at that moment, she didn't care about the consequences of her deception, she just wanted to hold Emily close.

Joy leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Emily's neck, wanting more but knowing she didn't have the time for more.

Emily tilted her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment. It had been far too long since she'd had someone shower affection on her like this and she was determined to just enjoy it.

Sooner than they might've liked, the coffee was ready and Emily reluctantly pulled away to pour both of them a cup.

They'd just finished their coffee when Emily's cell rang. She recognized the ring tone as her mother's and she ignored it.

**"Aren't you going to get that?"** Joy asked, curious.

**"Nope. I know who it is and she can wait."**

**"Oh..." **Joy heard the 'she' and realized that someone as beautiful and amazing in bed as Emily would surely have a girlfriend or two waiting in the wings. She felt her happy mood begin to slip away at the thought that she'd been just another notch in a bedpost.

Emily saw the look on Joy's face and realized how her answer had sounded. She was quick to correct the mistaken assumption. **"No, Joy it's not like that. That ring tone is my mother's and I am not up to dealing with her right now. She's...she's difficult to handle this early in the morning."**

Joy took that in and smiled.** "ok."**

Soon it was time for Joy to head out and Emily offered to drive her home so she wouldn't have to take a cab. Joy accepted and they set off for Joy's apartment.

Emily dropped her off with a kiss and Joy's promise to call her soon.

Emily drove away smiling. She was looking forward to getting to know Joy better. First thing she was going to ask the woman the next time she saw her was her last name. It was time they at least exchanged those. Emily was determined, though, to not use the information to have Garcia run a check. She wanted to learn about Joy on her own.

Emily was almost home when her phone rang again. Her mother, again. She picked up the phone and sighed as she answered it, knowing it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

TBC...

* * *

**A/N: Hope this lived up to expectations...more to come soon!!!**

**This meeting takes place between "In Heat" & "The Crossing" on CM & between "The Baby in the Bough" & "The Verdict in the Story" on Bones. Details from the second eps in each will be leaked into the story...but hopefully it won't be "spoiling" anything because I am guessing if your reading this story then you know both shows and have already seen these eps.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

After a brief but still frustrating conversation with her mother, Emily hung up the phone and sighed. Once again, her mother was pressuring her about settling down and having a family. Emily had, once again, explained to her mother that she wasn't interested in setting down just yet. Emily was willing to wait for the right woman to come along before she thought about settling down and making a commitment.

For a while, Emily had thought maybe JJ would be the one, but when she'd finally accepted that her blonde co worker and friend was straight, Emily had been forced to let go of that dream.

Emily walked into her apartment and sat down on her couch, thinking back to the night before. Joy seemed like a great woman. She was funny, smart, beautiful, and…sweet. Emily wondered if maybe, Joy could be the one she'd been waiting for.

Emily smiled as memories of their night together played in her head. The beeping of her cell phone pulled Emily from her thoughts as a text message came through. Emily, reluctantly but with curiosity, picked up her cell again and checked the text.

Emily didn't recognize the number but the message soon put a huge smile on her face: _might be too soon but I miss u already…save my # you'll need it –Joy xoxo_.

Emily quickly saved Joy's cell number into her contacts before she replied: _miss u 2, not too soon…can't wait 2 c u again – Emily xoxo._

Emily felt a giddiness she hadn't felt since high school. She was able to see the silliness of the moment for what it was and appreciate it, but it felt really good to know that Joy missed her.

Emily noticed the time on her cell and decided to go back to bed for a few more hours. The team had been given the next two days off after the Miami case. Emily had planned to use those days to run a few errands and try to avoid thinking about JJ but now…her new goal was to find a way to see Joy again.

Dr. Temperance Brennan silently wondered if she could sneak out of the Jeffersonian today without anyone noticing. She'd been paged into work on her day off because some reports had needed her signature. Nothing too time consuming, right? Well sometimes it seemed like she was cursed. Every time she was inside the Jeffersonian, in her office, alone and doing paperwork, expecting it to be a simple easy day…FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth almost always came sauntering in with a folder in one hand and a coffee in the other with a look on his face that clearly said, 'I need help, Bones'.

Today, however, Booth was a no show, Hodgins and Zack were doing some experiment in another part of the lab, Cam was busy with her own paperwork, and Angela was making 'improvements' to her Angelator machine. Which meant that Tempe was alone, in her office, with nothing to really do but with an odd sense of obligation that told her she couldn't leave yet.

Tempe found herself thinking back to the night before and this morning. Emily was so different from anyone else Tempe knew, but there was something about her that was oddly familiar. Something in the way she walked, the fact that she'd offered to drive her home rather than let her take a cab, there was a chivalry there that surprised her. Tempe remembered how Emily's eyes had darted all around her street when she'd dropped her off. Emily's insistence on waiting until Tempe was inside the building before she drove off. It was familiar yet, new at the same time. Yes, she'd had other 'dates' who'd been chivalrous, who'd driven her home, who had held doors open for her, and all of that but…none of them had ever been real subtle about it. There had been something in the way Emily had done all that, that had made it seem like she was doing it without having to think about it. It seemed to come naturally to the other woman, like it was second nature and Tempe couldn't help but be charmed by it.

Tempe looked around her office, then out the glass doors. When she was satisfied that she wasn't being watched and that no one was really around, she picked up her cell phone and found Emily's phone number. She had taken the time to program it into her contacts shortly after Emily had dropped her off at home, not wanting to risk losing the post it and not being able to call Emily.

Tempe tapped out a quick text message, hoping she wasn't moving too fast by admitting to the beautiful woman she'd just met, that she was missing her.

The reply, when it came, brought a smile to her face. It felt good to know that they seemed to be on the same page. Before she could reply with a request for a date for that night, she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

**"Hmmm…you're in your office on your day off and yet, you're smiling. Let me guess, either you were just told of some really old bones or…" **Angela paused for a moment before she gasped, **"you met someone!"**

Tempe jumped a little at being caught but relaxed when she saw it was just Angela. **"I can't smile without having a reason?" ** Tempe knew she'd eventually just tell Angela the truth but she needed a moment to regain her equilibrium after the surprise of the moment.

Angela narrowed her eyes a little before, **"of course not sweetie but, come on I know you…smiling alone in your office doesn't happen without a really good reason so…spill what is it that has my best friend looking so happy?"**

Tempe took a moment to try to wipe the smile from her face but failed when she glanced at her cell phone again. Finally she gave in and looked up at her best friend. With a wave of her hand, she signaled to Angela that she should close the door and sit on the couch.

Angela automatically knew something was going on when Tempe motioned for her to close the door. It had to be something personal. Angela closed the door and walked to the couch in the center of the room. She settled into it and waited.

Tempe stood up from her desk and walked to the armchair that sat near the couch so she wouldn't have to raise her voice. She settled into the chair and looked around once more, ensuring that no one was around to interrupt them.

Angela saw Tempe look around, like she was going to reveal a huge, government secret or something before she relaxed a little and began talking.

**"Ok, I did meet someone last night." ** Tempe admitted, hoping that Angela would leave it at that but knowing she wouldn't. Still, where was the fun in making it easy for her best friend?

Angela smiled, glad to be right and glad that her friend was willing to talk about it. **"Yeah? So tell me…what's he like? Is he cute?" **Angela made the somewhat natural assumption that it had been a man her friend had met.

Tempe knew it had been an automatic assumption, she knew that she'd never given anyone any reason to think she'd be interested in women. The truth of the matter being that while she enjoyed both sexes, she oftentimes preferred women, since men were a little too predictable and oftentimes intimidated by a strong, independent woman. Still, she wondered how Angela would react to the news that it was a woman who had her best friend smiling like this. **"Um, cute? Yes, that could be used as a description but I prefer 'beautiful'…especially when describing a grown woman." **

Angela took a moment to think about what her friend had just said. _A woman? Wow I never would've seen that one coming…hmmm…this explains SO much. _ Angela suddenly noticed the look of concern and worry in her friend's eyes and realized that Tempe thought she would react negatively for being attracted to a woman. Angela rushed to reassure her friend. **"Sweetie, I think that's wonderful. So…what's _she_ like? And where did you meet her?"**

Tempe let out a breath as she began to tell her best friend about Emily.

Emily had spent the day doing laundry, cleaning her apartment and trying not to think about Joy. She'd only managed to succeed at the first two. Thoughts of Joy crept into her mind all day with predictable regularity.

When she'd stripped the bed sheets to wash them, Joy's scent had wafted up to her and the memories of their night together overpowered her. Later, when she was cleaning the kitchen, the memory of Joy's arms around her as they'd waited for the coffee to brew that morning washed over her and for a few seconds, Emily swore she could actually feel those arms again.

When she got into her car to go to the grocery store to pick up some food, Emily caught Joy's scent again in the car's interior and she had to wait a good five minutes before she could trust herself to drive the car without being distracted.

Now, it was almost 8 in the evening and Emily finally admitted to herself that she was seriously smitten with Joy. Emily grabbed her cell phone and sent Joy a text message: _'any chance I could c u 2nite?'_

Emily sat on her couch, waiting to see what Joy would say to her question, hoping it would be yes.

Tempe was about to leave the lab, it was almost 8 o'clock and she finally felt like she could leave the building. Booth hadn't been by all day and after her talk with Angela about Emily, Tempe knew she needed a moment to herself to think. Tempe was walking past the forensic platform when her cell phone beeped an incoming text.

Tempe grabbed her phone and checked the message. When she saw it was from Emily she smiled.

_'any chance I could c u 2nite?'_

Tempe felt a warmth erupt in her stomach at the thought of seeing Emily again that night. She hit reply and began to type out a message: '_when & where? I'm all urs 2 nite' _just before she hit send, however, the main doors to the lab opened and Tempe looked up.

There was Booth, folder in one hand, a coffee in the other and _that_ look on his face. Tempe sighed and turned back to her cell. With great regret she closed the message without sending it, resigning herself to her fate of having to go out to a crime scene with Booth. Work and her dedication to the dead who couldn't speak for themselves, trumped even her love life…no matter how much she wished it didn't.

Booth stepped closer to Bones and saw the look in her eyes but decided not to pry, knowing how private Bones could be sometimes. Instead he held up the folder in his left hand. **"Hey, Bones! Glad I caught you. We got a body in an ally, let's go."**

Tempe nodded, **"Ok, let's go."**

Tempe drove one of the vans the Jeffersonian had that held everything she'd need to examine and collect specimens in the field. Booth drove his FBI SUV to the scene, telling Bones to follow him.

They got to the scene and Bones noticed that she would need to jumpsuits that were kept in the van. She quickly pulled one on then followed Booth to the alley where the body was waiting for them.

As they walked through the crime scene to where the body waited, Booth began to fill her in a little bit. A slightly giddy tone in his voice as he said, **"Bones, you are not going to believe this one."**

Bones was skeptical but also a little bit irritated at having her plan to be with Emily thwarted by work and it leaked into her voice, **"you said that about the guy who was stuffed inside a huge truck tire. I believed that."**

They walked up two steps then down a small walkway and finally down another step. Flood lights all around to light the way as Booth kept talking. 

**"Yeah, that was a good one. But this is a whole new level of weird." **Booth said before he pulled open a makeshift door and stepped aside to let Bones see for herself.

Tempe held her flashlight in her right hand and focused on the skeleton in front of her. She soon saw Booth was right, the skeleton had been positioned in a way to suggest a contortionist enacting the 'human wheel' position.

**"Whoa. I don't believe it." **Tempe said, voice clearly giving away her incredulity.

Smug, Booth said, **"Mm-hmm. What'd I tell you?"**

**"How could this happen?"** Bones asked, intrigued but not really expecting an actual explanation.

Still, Booth felt a need to try to come up with some scenario to explain it so he said, **"Whoa. Well um, maybe he was rolled up in a carpet?"**

Chuckling a little, Tempe asked, **"where's the carpet?"**

**"Well, it rotted away, you know, with the meaty parts." **Booth said, trying to give what he thought was the logical and most likely (to him) answer.

The tension Bones had been feeling over not being able to see Emily again, dissipated as she found humor in Booth's explanation and began laughing.

Booth, acting offended, just asked, **"What? It's possible."**

While still laughing, Bones tried to answer his question, **"that—that would've—that would've taken thousands of years." **She regained some control and turned back to the body, **"um—uh, the bones should be in a pile," **for some reason though, she couldn't control the laughter, **"but something is holding them together, and—" **She stopped talking as the laughter took over.

Booth, only slightly amused, asked, **"what is with you?"**

Tempe attempted to explain in between the laughter and catching her breath, **"rolled in a carpet. Meaty parts."**

At that moment, Federal Prosecutor Caroline Julian walked onto the scene, confused but a little upset, **"excuse me? What is so funny?"**

Tempe sobered up enough to reply, **"nothing."**

**"I should hope not, because there is a dead body deserving of respect right in front of you." **Ms Julian turned to look at the body then asked, **"what happened to him?"**

Her only answer was Tempe laughing again. Ms Julian turned to address Booth, **"I did not know she could laugh."**

Trying to deflect attention from Bones, Booth asked, **"what are you doing at the crime scene?"**

Ms Julian sighed as she turned to look at Dr. Brennan, **"Dr. Brennan is suspended from all crime-related duties." **She hated it but it was protocol given their new situation.

**"What?" **Booth asked, confused.

**"For laughing at Booth?" **Tempe asked, thinking the announcement was because of that.

**"That really doesn't bother me." **Booth said, hoping it was the reason but somehow knowing it wasn't.

Ms Julian explained that a date had been set for Dr. Brennan's father's murder trial. Since Booth was the arresting officer, they weren't allowed to work together until the trial was over.

Both Booth and Bones tried to argue that it wasn't necessary to split them up. But all Ms Julian said was, **"take it up with the FBI _cheri." _**She then turned around and left.

Alone together with the skeleton, Booth said, **"well that sucks."**

**"This one looked really interesting."**

**"Yeah…really, really interesting. I'll let you know what happens." **Booth said.

Bones stated an undeniable fact, **"you're not gonna solve it without me."**

Booth could only stand there, silently acknowledging that Bones was most likely right.

Bones left the scene then, reluctantly. She removed the jumpsuit and tossed it back into the van before she headed to the driver's side door. She got in the van and checked her watch. It was only 8:45…she smiled as she dug her cell phone out of her pocket and began to type out a text message : _just got done w/work. I'd luv to c u again if ur willing. Let me know time & place ~ Joy. _Bones hit the send button and waited for a reply.

She drove quickly but safely back to the Jeffersonian to return the van and pick up her own car. As she was getting into her car, her cell beeped a text. She picked it up and smiled. '_pizza & a movie my place? 20 mins?'_

Tempe smiled, she could definitely use a relaxing night in. _'ur on…shall I bring the pizza?'_

Tempe quickly drove to her house to freshen up a bit before she drove to Emily's. She'd just stepped out of her building when another text came in, _'no need delivery is fast here…just bring ur lovely self.'_

Tempe grinned and blushed as she sent the last text _'on my way, beautiful…c u soon'_. Tempe drove to Emily's and pulled up to the curb in record time. If she'd been thinking clearly she might've asked herself why she was so eager to see this woman she'd just met but, Tempe decided that she didn't care. Tonight, here with Emily, she wasn't Dr. Temperance Brennan, Forensic Anthropologist for the Jeffersonian Institute...no tonight she was just Joy. Joy wasn't complicated, wasn't bogged down by logic and reason and science. Joy was everything that Tempe wasn't and she was determined to enjoy being Joy while she could. She knew she'd eventually have to tell Emily the truth about herself but for tonight, she wanted to relive the magic of last night.

So, Joy stepped out of the car and walked up to Emily's building. She took a breath before she rang the bell and waited to be let in. When the door opened, Joy saw the look of happiness and desire in Emily's eyes and she knew that she would give anything to keep seeing that look in those dark eyes.

Emily stepped aside to let Joy into her apartment. Emily had been so happy when Joy had texted her, wanting to see her again. Emily had jumped on the chance before either of them could change their minds.

Emily closed the door and turned around, only to find Joy standing very close to her. Joy leaned forward and whispered a very low, **"hi."** Before she closed the distance between them and kissed her.

Emily let herself get lost in the kiss, thoroughly enjoying the feel of this woman in her arms, the soft lips she remembered from just that morning causing a reaction in her body that left no doubt in her mind that Joy would be spending the night again.

Emily began to move them away from the door, never breaking contact as the movie and the pizza were forgotten under the power of the lust that had kicked in.

Without a word, Emily managed to get Joy to the bedroom again, clothes discarded all along the path from the front door to the bed and as they fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs, the last thought that Emily allowed to form was, _'thank God I have tomorrow off'. _

TBC...

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**AN: Sorry for the delay...life got in the way. Also, for those who don't already know this about me...I don't write sex scenes. I prefer to leave that part up to your imagination. So I don't write them. Sorry. Enjoy the chapter anyway. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

Special Agent Jennifer Jareau, usually known as JJ to all who met her, wasn't the type to rely on anything less than a professional's opinion. Which was why when she stared at the home pregnancy test in her hand, she had a hard time believing the positive result. It was her disbelief that led her to her doctor's office for a more...definitive test.

JJ then spent the night staring at the piece of paper that held the results from the doctor's office. She was pregnant...and she had no idea what she was going to do about it. The logical, moral side of her insisted that she inform Will that she was carrying his child. But the less than rational side of her wanted to tell...Emily.

JJ wasn't so blind that she couldn't admit that she had feelings for her dark haired friend, but when Emily had encouraged her to go after Will, JJ had to finally accept that friendship would be all she'd get from Emily. In the fog of pain, confusion, and sadness that followed that acceptance, JJ had been careless and she'd slept with Will without using protection. And now, here she was...pregnant and feeling so alone that she felt like crying for days.

Before she could let herself slip into her low mood, the fax machine in her home office began to whine. Gathering her wits, she put the paper with the test results on the end table next to her as got up off her couch. She walked to her office and watched as some papers finished coming through. She picked them up and read through them. It wasn't that unusual for her to receive work related faxes at home, it was why she'd included her home fax number on her business card.

Sometimes, some cases, were too urgent to wait until she got to her office in Quantico. JJ read through the papers and realized that this case was going to need immediate attention. Hotch and Rossi were in Boston for a terrorism seminar they had agreed to participate in, explaining what the role of the BAU usually was when they were called in on a case.

JJ knew that, with both Hotch and Rossi out of the office, the 'boss' role usually fell to Morgan, but she was confident she could convince him to agree to take the case she now held in her hands.

It occurred to the media liaison that she might need some added ammunition in her pocket so she decided to call Emily first thing in the morning to fill her in one the case and get her on her side. JJ picked up her phone and dialed the phone number listed on the first page.

The phone rang twice before it was answered by a female voice, she sounded a little nervous and scared and JJ knew she was doing the right thing. **"Hello?"**

**"Hello, is this Keri Derzmond?"**

**"Yes, who is this?"** The woman said, still a little wary but put at ease by the feminine tones.

JJ turned on her professional tone as she said,** "Ms Derzmond, my name is Jennifer Jareau of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia. I am calling because your case was referred to our offices by Detective Berry, and I was wondering if you were available tomorrow morning to meet with me at our offices."**

Keri Derzmond felt her shoulders sag a little in relief, glad that someone was finally taking her seriously about the man who was following her. ** "Yes Ms Jareau I can be there at nine am, is that ok?"**

**"That's fine Ms Derzmond I'll see you then."**

**"Thank you."**

JJ hung up the phone and sighed. She really didn't like stalker cases, mostly because until the target was physically injured or worse, the police couldn't officially do anything. She was reminded of another stalker case, one she'd turned down that still haunted her. The victim was being stalked by her ex boyfriend. The cops knew exactly who he was and where he lived but, because he'd never _physically_ hurt her, they couldn't do anything about it. She had finally gotten a restraining order enforced against him...but not until _after_ he'd thrown acid in her face. In her weakest moments, this was one of the cases that haunted the blond agent.

The cases she'd turned down, the ones she decided were low-risk of loss of life, that usually ended up having the biggest body counts before they stepped in to help at last, were the ones that haunted her. It was horrible enough to know that a serial killer had killed while they were on the case, that couldn't really be helped sometimes, but knowing that their failure to step in sooner had caused a higher body count than would have existed if they'd acted sooner, was worse.

JJ finally went to bed, her thoughts troubled by everything that was suddenly weighing on her mind. She was pregnant, by a man she didn't even love, the person she _wanted_ to be with didn't want her and to top it all off, there was another stalker case that she knew would end in violence if she couldn't convince her team to take the case. It was all enough to send JJ to her bed early, praying for the sweet oblivion of sleep for a few hours at least.

* * *

The next morning, Emily opened her eyes and smiled as she felt the weight of an arm around her waist and the warmth of a body pressed against her back. She closed her eyes and snuggled back into the embrace. Emily smiled wider as she remembered the previous night. Joy had come over and, after several hours in bed, theyd finally ordered a pizza and snuggled on the couch with a bottle of wine and the first season of_ Angel_ on DVD. Emily loved shows like that and she was happy when Joy confessed to having seen a few episodes. Joy had explained that the actor who played Angel reminded her of 'a guy she worked with' and that's why she liked it.

Emily was curious about what Joy did for a living but Joy had deflected the subject by saying she didn't want to talk about it yet. Emily let it go, knowing that sometimes, work could be a mood killer.

So they'd snuggled on the couch, eating pizza, drinking wine and watching a show about a vampire with a soul on the path to redemption. At around midnight, they'd turned off the television and went back to Emily's bedroom.

Emily carefully turned over so she was looking at Joy. The other woman was still asleep so Emily took a moment to just look at her. Joy was beautiful, she was also smart, funny and sweet. Emily recognized a few moments of social missteps last night but she'd let them slip, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. She wasn't exactly suave all the time either.

Emily lifted her hand and lightly traced the outline of Joy's face. She couldn't remember ever being this happy just looking at someone. Emily knew Joy was different from the women she usually dated and now that she thought about it, that was probably a good thing.

Maybe it meant that they'd have a real shot at something long term.

Joy slowly came awake to the sensation of being watched. She knew it was Emily though, so she didn't panic. Normally, she didn't like being watched as she slept but, there was something about Emily that made her feel safe. After a few moments of feeling Emily's hand lightly graze her face, Joy opened her eyes and smiled. **"Good morning."**

Emily smiled, then she leaned closer and placed a light kiss on Joy's lips. Pulling away she whispered, **"good morning."**

Before anything more could be said, Emily's cell phone erupted in sound. She recognized the ringtone as JJ's and she knew it had to be work related. JJ never called her this early if it wasn't about work. With a light groan she rolled her eyes as she said, **"that's work, I have to answer. I'm sorry. Give me one moment?"**

Joy, though disappointed because she had definite plans for Emily that certainly didn't involve work or a phone, nodded, knowing work was important. **"it's ok Emily. I need to use the bathroom so I'll let you talk in private."**

Before she could answer, Joy was out of bed and walking, naked, towards the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. Emily watched her leave and had to swallow against a suddenly dry throat. _Damn but she is beautiful_, Emily thought before she leaned over and picked up her cell phone.

**"Prentiss."** Emily answered more out of habit than anything else.

JJ was a little surprised at the greeting. Usually, when she called Emily on her cell in the morning, she was greeted with a 'hello' or even a 'hi JJ', but almost never in Emily's work tone. She recovered quickly and said, **"hey, good morning Emily, it's JJ."**

**"Hey JJ what's up? Do we have a case? This is my day off you know."** Emily tried to keep the frustration she felt from leaking into her voice. Work meant the office which meant leaving Joy and she could already see the plans she'd made to spend the day with Joy, preferably in bed, vanishing.

**"Um, yeah kind of. I'm sorry Em I forgot this was your day off but I really need your help. Hotch and Rossi are in Boston and I need you to help me convince Morgan to take the case...please?"** JJ was not above begging at this point. She wanted the team to take the case and she knew that Emily had some sort of influence over Morgan that would help her.

Emily sighed, she knew that even after everything that had happened, she could never say no to JJ. Emily saw Joy peeking around the door to the bathroom, silently wondering if it was ok for her to walk in. Emily smiled, nodded and motioned Joy to come closer. Joy walked to the bed and quietly slid under the sheet and snuggled into Emily. She knew not to make a sound, not knowing if Emily was out at work and if she wasn't, not wanting to put her in the position to have to make any explanations.

Emily was silently thankful that Joy seemed to understand the need for silence. She turned her attention to the phone in her hand and said,** "fine JJ but, you owe me one."**

JJ grinned, happy to be getting her way,** "deal. Can you come into the office early though, so I can explain about the case?"**

**"Yeah I'll be there in an hour."**

**"Thanks Emily."**

Emily hung up the phone and glanced at Joy.** "I am so sorry about this Joy. That was the office, they need me to come in today."**

Joy smiled, "**I understand Emily. I know how important work can be. One of these days though, we're going to have an uninterrupted morning, deal?"**

Emily let a small laugh escape, glad that Joy wasn't going to hold it against her.** "deal. How about for now, we share a shower and then I'll make you coffee."**

Without a word, Joy leaned over and kissed Emily before she slid from the bed again and walked to the bathroom. She turned around and saw Emily still sitting on the bed in a bit of a daze, **"come on slow poke, I have plans for you."** Joy beckoned Emily to her with one finger.

Emily snapped out of it and scrambled to the bathroom, eager to feel Joy's body next to hers under the hot water.

TBC...

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the long delay in updates. I've been focused on other stories and work and stuff. But the muse pulled this one out today and pouted until I agreed to work on it. Here's the latest. Another interrupted morning for our girls...and what's this? JJ is harboring feelings for Em? Oh boy! Stay tuned, the muse might give me more for this one sooner than usual...**

**~Acathla  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

Emily walked into the BAU and stopped at her desk to drop off her briefcase before she made her way to JJ's office. She was really dreading what was going to happen because she knew that if JJ was being so adamant about a case, it had to be pretty bad. Emily was also thinking about Joy and hoping that she didn't screw this up with her.

Emily entered JJ's office and smiled at her friend who was sitting at her desk staring at a sheet of paper.

**"Hey JJ, well I'm here. Tell me about the case you dragged me out of bed for."** Emily said, a light teasing tone in her voice to let the blonde know she wasn't as upset as her words might sound.

JJ looked up at Emily and felt the now familiar flutter in her stomach. Emily was so beautiful and JJ once again wished that Emily wasn't so straight. That there could be a chance for them, but that ship sailed. So she gave a small smile. **"Hey Emily. Here."**

JJ handed Emily the paper she was reading. It was a letter written by the victim, Keri Derzmond, to the local Silver Springs cops about her stalker.

Emily took the paper and began reading.

JJ waited as patiently as she could in the ensuing silence while Emily read the letter. She really hoped Emily could see the urgency of the situation.i

* * *

Temperance Brennan had gone home from Emily's and changed into more appropriate clothes before she made her way to the Jeffersonian. Before she could reach her car, her cell phone rang. She looked down and saw it was Booth so she pushed down the slight disappointment that it wasn't Emily and answered.

**"Hey Booth."**

**"Hey Bones, listen can you meet me and Sweets at the diner in like 10 minutes?"** Special Agent Seeley Booth asked, a little unsure. He wasn't so oblivious that he couldn't see there was something different about Bones lately but he knew that she would tell him about it when she was ready and not a second sooner.

Tempe was a bit confused but agreed to meet her partner and theirtherapist. Tempe never really made a secret of the fact the she had no tolerance for psychology. It was a soft science that dealt with the intangibility of thoughts, feelings and an inordinate amount of guesswork. She was uncomfortable with guessing. It wasn't what she relied on. She was all about facts, tangible evidence and undeniable proof.

If it hadn't been mandatory for her and Booth to see Dr. Sweets in order to remain partners, she never would've stepped foot into his office.

Tempe arrived at the diner with a few minutes to spare and she walked in, fully expecting to have to wait for the two men she was meeting but to her surprise, they were already there, having coffee.

Tempe smiled at the piece of pie sitting in front of Booth. The man loved pie.

Tempe sat down and ordered coffee from the waitress and once again, turned down Booth's offer of pie.

* * *

When JJ finally couldn't take the silence, she asked, **"you done?"**

Emily, distracted by what she was reading said, **"almost."**

JJ didn't have to wait too long before Emily finished and looked at her. JJ's face said it all as she asked, **"it's pretty powerful, right?"** She really hoped Emily would come down on her side of this case.

Emily blew out a breath, **"whew! I can see why you'd meet with her."**

Another agent knocked on the door frame then said,** "your 9 o'clock's here."**

Before JJ could fully prepare herself, an impatient Keri Derzmond walked in. She wasted no time as she introduced herself,** "Hi, um, I'm Keri Derzmond."** Keri reached out to shake JJ's hand.

JJ stood from her desk and shook Keri's hand as she said, **"Agent Jareau and this is..."**

She was cut off as Emily said,** "Emily Prentiss."** For some unknown reason, Emily felt the need for a more personal greeting.

**"I'm sorry to rush in but ever since your phone call, I could barely sleep last night. But that's nothing new, I haven't been able to sleep for about two years."**

JJ nodded as she said,** "we read the letter you wrote to the Silver Spring police."**

Keri's voice turned slightly defensive as she explained,** "begging and pleading wasn't getting their attention, they needed to know I wasn't going away."**

**"So you've been getting these notes for the past two years?"** JJ asked, trying to imagine being in Keri's position for so long.

Keri nodded then continued,** "I used to be in Atlanta, I moved here six months ago and then out of nowhere, another note. I can't live like this anymore, I want my life back."** It was obvious to Emily and JJ that Keri was at the end of her rope.

Emily spoke up and asked,** "What did the police tell you?"** Though she already knew the answer, she needed to confirm it for herself.

Keri answered, **"the detective I met with was very sympathetic but his hands are tied unless something happens to me. Then it will be too late."** Keri turned to JJ then,** "Will _you_ help me?"**

Emily and JJ exchanged a look that basically said their hands might be tied too. JJ couldn't, wouldn't let this case go though so she said, **"I'm presenting the case to our team this morning. I'll let you know what we decide."** It was JJ's usual, diplomatic answer when she had to face detectives asking for help.

Keri seemed to sense she might be getting the brush off so she picked up a note pad and a pen and wrote down the names of her boss, her father, and her fianc. She handed the list to JJ who looked confused about the names she'd heard Keri list out loud.

**"Excuse me?"**

Keri looked JJ in the eyes as she explained, **"Those are the people you'll be calling when you find me dead."**

Silence filled the room after Keri's statement and they stood there, the gravity of the moment pressing on them for a few moments before Keri excused herself, citing a need to get to work.

JJ and Emily watched her leave and then JJ turned to Emily,** "What do you think?"**

Emily took a deep breath, trying to figure out a way to say what she thought without upsetting JJ. **"I think, that woman needs help, I'm just not sure if this can be called a BAU case."**

JJ let a small smile creep onto her face as she repeated the words she'd said to Rossi a few weeks ago,** "I can make anything a BAU case, Em. It's all about paperwork, and I know the paperwork. I'm asking if you think we can help her."**

Emily thought about the question and said,** "at this point, we might be the only ones who can. So, I'm in your corner on this one JJ. Let's gather the team."**

JJ let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding and impulsively stepped closer and hugged Emily, **"thanks Em."**

Emily didn't have time to reply as JJ quickly stepped away and picked up the case files and headed to the conference room where the team, well where Morgan and Reid, were waiting.

Emily took a moment to think about what just happened but she quickly joined JJ in the conference room. She'd examine JJ's actions another time, right now she had to help JJ convince Morgan and Reid to agree to the case.

* * *

Booth, Tempe and Sweets were sitting at the table in silence for a few seconds before Booth spoke. **"Sweets, we're not going to be continuing with the therapy."**

Sweets, confused asked, **"what do you mean?"**

Booth answered, wishing Sweets would just let it go but knowing that as a shrink, he couldn't. **"I mean, there's no use in doing partners therapy when we aren't partners."**

In the same confused tone Sweets asked, sounding much like a little kid denied a treat, **"What? You split up?"**

**"No, we got split up."** Booth explained.

Tempe cut in with, **"The FBI says we can't work together."**

**"Why?"**

Booth was starting to get annoyed, this was worse than talking to Parker, **"Brennan's dad murdered the deputy director of the FBI."**

**"His trial begins next week."** Tempe explained, something in her voice sounding suspiciously like shame.

**"I should've been informed."** Sweets said, a little confused as to why he hadn't been told about the trial.

Tempe was confused,** "Of the trial? Why?"**

Booth spoke up before Sweets could, **"Well, because Sweets did the psychological profile on Max for the prosecution."** Booth wondered why they'd asked Sweets to do that and not one of the BAU profilers but he knew enough not to question it.

This was news to Tempe,** "What? Why didn't you tell me before?"** She asked Booth, a little distressed that her partner had kept something like this from her.

Sweets picked up on her tone and jumped into the conversation, **"Why is that important to you?"**

Booth was frustrated because he felt like he was being verbally attacked on two fronts. He decided to address Sweets first since the poor therapist was ticking him off the most.** "Sweets! No therapy. Didn't I just-"** Booth cut himself off and turned to Bones, **"listen, because while it would matter to say, a normal person, I just figured you wouldn't care."** Booth finished, wishing silently that she would see the logic of his statement and not look deeper.

Tempe took a minute to think about that and realized that Booth was right. In a way it didn't matter to her who did the psychological profile on her father, mostly because she didn't put much stock in psychology. She was convinced of her father's guilt and to her, the profile wasn't that important. **"You're absolutely right."**

Sweets could tell that there was something Dr. Brennan was hiding and, as their therapist (sort of) he felt compelled to help her face it. **"Dr. Brennan, everyone you work with, including your therapist-"**

**"Former therapist."** She felt the need to correct the young doctor.

He continued talking as if she hadn't interrupted, **"-is endeavoring to imprison your father. That's wicked stressful."**

Silently, she could admit there was some truth to his statement but she also knew that, despite a need to be 'normal', she felt obligated to maintain her facade of logic and reason. Tempe remembered that she now had a better way to relieve stress as Emily's face floated into her mind. **"Booth is right, it doesn't bother me." **

Sweets was nothing if not persistent, **"No, Booth is wrong. Yes it does. May I suggest that this is a golden opportunity for you to feel a situation rather than simply rationalize it?"**

She glanced at Booth, who was being surprisingly silent, then turned to Sweets, **"I'm fine."**_ 'Joy' can feel this situation...later with Emily. Temperance is sticking with rationalization, it's better for everyone this way._ Tempe's thoughts were interrupted by Sweets.

**"If you were fine you'd be balled up in the corner weeping or semi-catatonic."** Sweets wasn't convinced she was fine.

Tempe turned to Booth then and in a skeptical tone asked him, **"Does that sound fine to you?"** She was expecting him to back her up. She was surprised and a little hurt when he didn't.

**"I'm sorry Bones, I'm gonna have to agree with Sweets on this one." **

Sweets tried one more time to explain to Tempe what he was trying to say, **"I think its important that you know that we know that the colder and more detached you appear on the surface, the more pain you're feeling on the inside."**

Sweets was starting to really get on her nerves and it bled into her voice when she once again stated in a firm voice, **"I'm fine."**

**"No you're not."** Sweets wasn't going to let it go.

So Booth decided that they were done now. He stood up and motioned for Bones to follow him as he said, **"Well, Sweets, I'm gonna miss you. It was really a pleasure working with you."** There was an air of insincerity in Booth's tone, undercutting his nice words, which was his intent.

Sweets didn't really catch the tone, just the words, **"really? You are?"**

Bones decided she was done too and used the same tone as Booth, **"I too find him intriguing in a non-rigorous, pragmatically irrelevant kind of way."** It was her own way of insulting the doctor, she never had much respect or use for psychology.

Booth, not understanding much of what she said but knowing it wasn't a compliment said, **"I agree with what she said."**

**"Thank you for trying to help Booth and me work together."**

They started leaving, Sweets was saddened and still confused and tried one last time to convince them to continue therapy but they kept walking. Soon, Sweets is alone at the table, having agreed to pick up the tab, and half-heartedly finishing his food.

**"How lame, I thought I was doing a good job."** Sweets said softly to himself. He didn't know where to go from there. He'd been more or less drafted by the FBI brass, out of the Behavioral Analysis Unit to work exclusively with Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan as part of a pilot program that placed profilers into other departments within the Bureau to see if they could help raise the effectiveness of the department. The bulk of Sweets' assignment revolved around the partners therapy with Booth and Brennan. The Bureau had wanted to smooth the way for other agents to work with private consultants.

Sweets felt a deep disappointment at what he saw as a failure on his part. He thought back to his previous job at the BAU and wondered if he'd end up back there now that he didn't seem to be needed at the Jeffersonian.

* * *

Bones and Booth parted ways soon after they left the diner. Bones told him she had to go see her father. Booth, knowing enough to let her go alone, headed back to his office.

TBC...

* * *

**AN: Hmmm... what's up with Sweets? Anyway, hope y'all like this. Lemme know!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:**** Sorry this update took so long but I got a bit distracted. However, I was brought back around to this story and so...here's the update. Definitely more to come. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

The next few days flew by at a fairly brisk pace as Emily and the others worked the Derzmond stalker case.

Emily had sent Joy a text before they all headed out to Silver Springs to meet with Keri at her office, telling her she was going to be busy with work for the next few days. Joy, while a little disappointed, understood the importance of work and had reassured Emily that she would see her when she became available.

Emily was glad that Joy hadn't made a big deal about her work situation as so many of her past girlfriends had. It was a refreshing change.

Meanwhile, it was all JJ could do to not tell Emily that she was pregnant. She wanted so desperately to tell Emily, to share the news and, in her wildest fantasies, have Emily hold her close and confess her love and her desire to raise the baby with her.

But JJ knew that was unlikely. Emily was straight and obviously not interested in anything more than friendship, considering how she had pushed JJ to be with Will. JJ wasn't interested in Will though. Sure, she'd talked a good game to him about why she didn't want anyone to know they were dating but it was mostly crap.

JJ didn't want her friends to know she was dating Will because she didn't want to admit that she was dating someone like him. She knew it was shallow and wrong, but she was a little embarrassed that he wasn't better looking, and that he always sounded like he was drunk thanks to that accent of his. He wasn't even the kind of guy she normally went for, but after the Idaho case where the Mulford brothers were hunting humans in the woods, JJ could no longer deny her feelings for Emily, especially after seeing her in the bar flirting with that asshat who had tried to impress them by claiming to be FBI. Yeah, they'd properly embarrassed him and sent him away with his tail between his legs, but that was the beginning of the end for JJ's denial...at least to herself.

She didn't want to admit that she was having feelings for Emily, her best friend and co-worker, so she had finally agreed to go out with Will, in an effort to distract herself from Emily. It worked for a while but during the Miami case it all came to a head and JJ knew she couldn't keep up the charade with Will so she had ended it. She had intended to tell Emily how she felt after they wrapped the case. She had it all planned out, until Emily began talking about how good she and Will looked together.

Having confirmation that Emily wasn't interested in her, JJ decided that she'd rather be with someone for the wrong reasons than be alone for the right ones. So she'd run up to Will and began to lie to him about why she'd pushed him away.

When he pulled her close and kissed her, JJ did her best to enjoy it but she couldn't. The only way she was able to kiss him back and look like she meant it was by picturing it was Emily she was kissing.

And now, because she was too much of a chicken shit to just be honest with herself, with Will and with Emily, she was pregnant and trapped. She knew she was going to have to tell Will about the pregnancy and she knew he would want to do the honorable thing and be with her and raise the baby and, hell, he might even want them to get married.

JJ knew with complete certainty that she did not want to marry Will, she didn't even want to stay with him, but the baby was going to change everything. Now, instead of dumping Will and throwing caution to the wind and telling Emily how she felt...JJ was going to have to put her own desires aside and do what's right for her baby.

* * *

Temperance Brennan was having a heck of a time dealing with her father and his trial. Objectively speaking, she knew he was guilty, that he deserved to go to prison for the rest of his life for murder. But in her heart, the place where "Joy" resided, she didn't want her dad to go to jail for trying to protect her and Russ.

She was at a loss as to how to help her dad without going against what she and Booth worked for everydayﾗjustice. She knew Emily was going to be busy with work for the next few days and while a part of her wished she could see her and, for a few hours at least, stop being Tempe and just be Joy, she was also thankful that she wasn't going to be in a position where she would end up telling Emily about her father.

Having a father who was on trial for murder, a mother who was murdered by someone she trusted, and a brother who was a convicted felon, wasn't something Tempe wanted to advertise. Her friends knew these things, it couldn't be helped, they had worked with her to discover these facts. But Emily was different. She didn't know the truth, and therefore she couldn't judge Tempe, or turn her back on her.

When she was with Emily, she didn't have to be Dr. Temperance Brennan, she didn't have to worry about all the things that made her life confusing and stressful. With Emily, she was simply Joy, just another woman in DC who liked the company of women. It was liberating for her to have that, and if she told Emily the truth, she was afraid that it would all go away and she wouldn't be able to be Joy anymore.

A few days into the trial, she was talking to Booth at the diner about the case and he said something to her that she realized was the key to helping her father. It wasn't the words as much as the meaning behind them. He told her to stop thinking with her brain and start following her heart.

That night, as she lay in bed thinking about what Booth had said, it occurred to Tempe that there was a way to help her father without having to break the law or violate her own moral code of ethics. Logically speaking, there were at least two other people who had motive, means and opportunity to commit the murder, and who had also been at all three of the locations; herself and Booth. Now all she had to do was come up with a convincing story for the jury that highlighted these facts without making it seem like she was just a loving daughter looking to get her father out of a murder rap.

By the time the sun came up, Tempe knew what she was going to say and how she was going to say it. She had it all worked out, committed to memory so as not to seem as if she was making it up as she went on the stand. She was ready to see if 'reasonable doubt' was on her side as she walked into the courthouse and headed for the courtroom where her father's trial was taking place.

* * *

They managed to wrap up the case without anyone getting hurt, although having their stalking victim abducted by her stalker was not something the team had wanted, but it seemed to be unavoidable. Still, they had managed to track the unsub and talk him into letting Keri Derzmond go. Once he had put his gun in his pocket, Derek tackled him from behind and quickly slapped the cuffs on his wrists before he pulled the gun from the guy's pocket and handed it off to Emily.

As JJ walked away from the scene, leaving the actual arrest to be made by the local cops, she realized that even though she couldn't tell Emily about her feelings or her pregnancy, there was someone she would have to tell...Will.

JJ decided that she would tell him when they got back to the BAU.

Emily, Reid, Morgan and JJ drove back to the BAU in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Reid was thinking about the next letter he was going to write to his mom about his latest case. Morgan was thinking about the work he had to finish on his latest property, imagining a few solid hours spent tearing down walls and putting up sheet rock. Emily was thinking about Joy and wondering if she could figure out a way to see her tonight.

JJ was thinking about Emily, and how she wished that the brunette profiler felt about her the way she felt about Emily. But she knew it wasn't going to happen so she resigned herself to her fate of dealing with Will. She didn't want him, but because of her pregnancy, she was stuck with him.

They arrived at the BAU and each went off to their desks, and started writing up their reports about the case. JJ noticed that Hotch and Rossi were back and she went to Hotch's office to brief him on the case and its outcome.

* * *

_Office of Erin Strauss, BAU Section Chief_

Dr. Lance Sweets shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he waited for Chief Strauss to finish her phone call. After he had reported back to his superiors that he was no longer able to work with Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan, Lance received a phone call summoning him to Chief Strauss' office. The older blonde was his _former_ boss but she was still his superior and she still scared the crap out of him.

Chief Strauss hung up the phone with her counterpart in Major Crimes and then turned to face the young doctor in her office. **"Dr. Sweets, Assistant Director Hacker informs me that you are no longer working with Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan. May I ask why?"**

Lance cleared his throat, nervously and then explained, **"Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth's partnership was...dissolved due to the conflict of interest which arose as a result of the murder trial of Max Keenan. Since they are no longer partners, they felt that partners therapy was no longer necessary."**

Erin shook her head, she hated when the eggheads started talking like computers. **"Dr. Sweets, as I understand it, this was one case. Surely once the case is concluded, Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan will resume working together, right?"**

Lance squirmed again, **"Ma'am, the emotional ramifications of the outcome of this case, the conviction of Max Keenan, are such that I can't see a way for Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan to resume their working relationship. As much as it sucks for me to have to say it, I think their days of working together are over, for the time being."**

Erin studied the young man sitting across from her for a moment, wondering if he was being honest or if he just wanted to come back to the BAU. In the end, however, it didn't matter what he wanted, all that mattered was the success of the pilot program that she had initiated.

**"Dr. Sweets, I don't care what you have to do, what...story you have to spin to get these two back into partners' therapy. You will do whatever it takes to ensure the success of the pilot program. This program was my idea, my concept, and if it fails..."** She fixed Sweets with a glare that made the young doctor shift in his seat, **"I would not be happy. I wield a fair amount of power in the upper halls of the FBI Dr. Sweets, I can help your career soar...or I can stall it in its tracks. Do I make myself clear?"**

Sweets thought about what his superior was telling him, he read between the lines and realized that if he ever wanted to move beyond his current place within the FBI, even if he just wanted to one day move into the private sector successfully, he was going to have to play ball. Carefully, he nodded, **"Yes ma'am, crystal clear."**

Strauss smiled, **"Good. I like you Dr. Sweets, I think you could have a brilliant career, and I'd like the opportunity to help make it happen. Now, go work your magic and get Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan back on the couch, so to speak."**

Sweets realized it for the dismissal that it was and he stood up. **"Yes ma'am."** With that he left her office and walked towards the elevator. He got on and, on impulse, he pressed the button for the BAU bullpen. There was someone he was hoping to see, for some advice.

TBC...

* * *

**AN: I had to bring Strauss into it, because I mentioned Sweets was former BAU. Who do you think Sweets is looking for to seek advice? I know who it is but I am open to guesses!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Wow it's been almost a year for this one. This is a short chapter and I'm sorry about that but this is what I had. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Dr. Lance Sweets stepped off the elevator on the BAU floor and walked quickly towards the glass doors that held the main bullpen for the unit. He stepped through the doors and took a moment to look around before spotting the person he'd come to see. He walked confidently towards the desk and stopped next to it and tapped the surface to get its occupant's attention. **"Hey."**

Dr. Spencer Reid looked up from the file he was reading and smiled when he saw who had interrupted him. He'd met Lance during his days at the academy. They were both eggheads and while Reid had advanced to become an agent, Lance had eventually transferred to the non-agent field of psychology, opting to be one of the non-agent support staff rather than go through the physical requirements of becoming an Agent.

Reid didn't really blame him, he might've gone the same route if it hadn't been for Jason Gideon. The man had taken him under his wing and had eventually pulled strings to get him a pass on the physical stuff. **"Hey Lance, what brings you back to the BAU?"**

Lance looked around then said, **"Um, actually Spencer, can we go somewhere private to talk? I kind of need some advice."**

Reid stood up, **"Yeah, we can go into the conference room, there's no one there." **Reid led the way to the round table room where the team briefed cases. Lance followed, actively ignoring the speculative looks cast his way by the two other agents in the room. He didn't know them but he mentally recorded their faces for future reference.

Reid waited until Lance was in the room before he closed the door. **"Okay, we're alone now. What's going on?"**

Lance took a breath before he explained about Strauss and her program and the current status of the partners therapy he was supposed to be doing. He then explained about Strauss'…well, threat was the only way Lance could describe what had happened in her office earlier. **"I just…I don't know how to convince these two to continue therapy. I mean, they weren't exactly cooperative the first time around."**

Reid took a moment to think about it and he realized that Lance had a real problem but he soon found a solution. **"This Agent Booth, he's what you would classify as a 'typical Alpha Male' agent?"**

Lance nodded, **"Yes. Completely."**

**"And Dr. Brennan is… smart, analytical, and not a fan of the 'soft' science of psychology isn't she?" **Reid had come across more than one person like that in his time with the BAU, though usually they were men who didn't think psychology could help catch a killer.

Again, Lance nodded. ** "Yes."**

Reid nodded to himself, thinking it through. He smiled as he remembered that Dr. Brennan had a side job as an author. **"Okay, how about this? Tell them you're doing research for a book, that you want to study them as part of that research. The same therapy schedule you had before with them and nothing changes except that you'll be doing research for the book."**

Lance looked at Reid skeptically, **"A book? That's your idea? What would it even be about? And why a book?"**

Reid, accustomed to people not thinking as fast as he sometimes could, just smiled as he explained, **"Dr. Brennan has written a couple of books herself so she knows about the research process of writing a book. I've read her books, they're very detailed and accurate as far as the forensics go. The interpersonal aspects though could use some work and really just distract me from the main plot but that's neither here nor there. As for what it would be about, you tell me. Tell me more about them."**

Reid sat down and invited Lance to get comfortable too, he had nowhere to be and he wanted to help his friend, but he was also fairly curious about these two seemingly disparate people working together.

Lance sat down, not needing to be anywhere and he began to tell Reid about Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan.

He explained about their polar opposite personalities and attitudes toward just about everything and how, despite all of that, they still managed to work well together and catch killers. Together they had one of the highest case closure rates in the Bureau…second only to the BAU.

Reid listened and it soon became clear to him what Lance's book should be about. **"How about this, a clinical approach to efficacy and focused outcomes." **The confused look on Lance's face prompted Reid to explain further, **"From what you've told me, these two shouldn't work well together. They should be butting heads at every turns, arguing more than they agree and should be working solo. Dr. Brennan in particular seems like someone who should be more at home in the lab than in the field and yet, she goes into the field and seems to enjoy it. I think it merits further study Dr. Sweets to see if you can discover why these two individuals who are like night and day, can work so well together. I think that's your hook to get them back into therapy for Strauss' program."**

Lance took a moment to think about that, knowing that Spencer used his title to emphasize his role in the process. It made sense and he knew that his friend was right. He smiled, **"Thank you so much Dr. Reid. You've been a big help."**

Reid smiled. **"Anytime Dr. Sweets…and if you do write a book, I'll look forward to reading it."**

Both men stood up and shook hands. Lance agreed to Reid's request and he soon left the BAU.

Reid went back to the bullpen and sat down at his desk to finish his work. Before he could start reading again though, Morgan was at his desk with a curious look on his face, **"Who was that?"**

Reid looked up at Morgan, **"That was an old friend, he just needed some advice is all. He was on Johnson's team for about a month before he was chosen for a special assignment."**

Morgan nodded at the mention of one of the other two teams that made up the BAU. **"Oh…okay. Well I'm heading out. See you in the morning."**

**"Bye Morgan." ** Reid still had two more files to go through so he settled in and continued his work. He noticed that Emily was still at her desk working and he smiled, glad to know he didn't have to be in the bullpen alone.

* * *

Later, after everyone else had gone home, JJ sat in her office with the paper from the doctor that had her pregnancy test results on it. She was staring at the paper, half hoping she'd read it wrong. But no, she hadn't. JJ lifted her hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She knew what she had to do, she just wished she didn't have to do it.

Before she could think about it anymore, there was a light knock on the door and Emily was standing there.

Emily had sent a text to Joy about seeing her, but she hadn't gotten a reply back yet so she decided to just head home, knowing that if anything, Joy could just come over to her place later. She noticed JJ's light was still on so she stopped by to make sure the blonde was alright.

Just because JJ was straight and with someone else, didn't mean that Emily's feelings for her would just go away. She was hoping that her association with Joy might help her get over JJ but she knew that was going to take some time. Besides, this case had seemed personal to JJ so Emily wanted to check on her.

**"Hey, everyone's already left, you coming?"**

JJ looked up at Emily and smiled, despite the gloomy mood she had been in just a moment ago. **"Yeah, in a minute. You go ahead. I'll see you tomorrow."**

Emily hesitated for a moment then said, **"Keri's going to be alright JJ. It all turned out okay."**

JJ just nodded, knowing that the case was the last thing on her mind but not ready to tell Emily anything more.

**"I know."**

Emily nodded slowly, knowing that sometimes, people just needed to be alone with their thoughts. **"Okay, well I'll see you tomorrow I guess."**

JJ just waved as Emily moved from the door and left. She took a deep breath and picked up her cell phone. She dialed Will's number and waited for him to pick up. When he did, she let out a shaky breath then said, **"Hi, it's me…there's something we need to talk about." **JJ paused as Will asked her what was up. JJ took a moment then said quietly, **"I'm pregnant."**

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening as Will struggled to absorb what JJ had told him. In that moment, he knew, that nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

Dr. Temperance Brennan left the courthouse after her testimony. She and Booth had done everything they could. There was really nothing left to be done but wait for the jury to deliver a verdict. Tempe was walking towards her car, her day was over and she had no plans for the rest of the afternoon and evening. As she reached her car, her cell phone alerted her to an incoming text. She fished the phone out of her pocket and checked the message, smiling when she saw it was from Emily.

_{hey beautiful, any chance I can see you tonight? –E}_

Tempe got a warm feeling in her chest at the thought of Emily. She knew that if her father was freed, she was going to be responsible for him. Finding him a place to stay and keeping him out of trouble seemed to be landing on her shoulders. She was the only truly responsible one in her family, Russ was an ex-con with his own problems, and her father wasn't much better.

Tempe knew the jury had already been dismissed for the day and wouldn't bring back a verdict for at least a day maybe two. So she quickly typed out a reply, stating that she would be by Emily's house in two hours.

She got into her car and drove quickly to her place to take a quick shower and pack an overnight bag. She fully intended to spend the whole night with Emily and she knew she'd need clothes for tomorrow so she wouldn't have to leave Emily any earlier than absolutely necessary.

TBC...

* * *

**AN: Again, sorry it's so short. It's been sitting on my hard drive for a while and I finally finished it and decided to add it. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. Until then, please enjoy this one.**

**Acathla**


End file.
